Thursday, 21 January 2010

Whereas I don't really care much for rose-scented soaps and bath oils, I am all about rose water in the kitchen. I love it when it's paired with cardamom, and there's a cake I've made often that does just that; I like it in cocktails (martini, anyone?), and, a very recent innovation this, I like it in spiced warm milk, à la Sanjana.

I wasn't convinced it would go with coconut (and my lamington loyalties do, as you may have noticed, lie with the coconut) - my mum always has a big bag of mixed sweets in the car, and when I was really small I used to raid it for the Everton mints and coconut ice. I obviously have a thing for striped confections! But I remember one time when the pink layer of coconut was rose flavoured, and thinking it was vile in the extreme.

It seems though, that my tastes have changed. The rose lamington is a beautiful to taste as it is to behold! The fragrance hits you first; it isn't over-powering, but you do feel, on opening the tin, that you are stepping out into an English rose garden on a warm, sunny day. And, because these lamingtons are glazed (like the St. Clements version), they stay incredibly moist, with the sugary coconut shell just melting in the mouth.

I actually can't believe how pretty these are. Do I sound immodest? Sorry.

I've topped them with some dried rose buds, which are actually a herbal tea I bought yonks ago in an Chinese supermarket in Manchester. Since traditional lamingtons don't have topping, they aren't really necessary, but since I've never used them for anything other than to decorate Lucy and Rich's wedding cupcakes, I thought I get some further mileage out of my investment!

Ms. Humble - Stamina is my middle name. No, I lie. All this baking took the best part of four days; I enjoyed the first two. I have learned that challenges are fun, if you allow yourself time to complete them and the right to quit at any time. I allowed myself neither. Mistake! I still ♥ lamingtons though!